Women's football received a major boost today when the Seven Network announced it will broadcast – LIVE on TV and via online streaming - all the qualifying matches featuring the Australian National Women's football team (“the Matildas”).

This deal with the Seven Network will push women's football into the living rooms of mainstream Australia.

Who can forget the way Australians embraced the Matildas during the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in June 2015?

At this tournament hosted by Canada, the Matildas - through a combination of exquisite skill, disciplined tactics and Aussie mental toughness – scored a famous victory over football power nation, Brasil, in the knock-out round.

Then, in a memorable Quarter Final against their Asian rivals Japan (who were 2011 FIFA Women's Champions of the World), the Matilda's produced another superb performance. The match pulsated keeping fans on the edge of their couches, before a clinical Japanese strike 3 minutes from full-time broke Aussie hearts.

Now, on 29 February 2016, the Matildas have the opportunity to avenge that heartbreaking loss to Japan in their opening match of the qualifying journey to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

This blockbuster match between two of the world's most powerful women's football nations will be broadcast on 7mate and streamed on Plus7 from 9:30 p.m.

In announcing this broadcast deal, David Gallop (CEO of the FFA) said the growth of women's football in Australia continues to gather momentum:

“FFA is committed to growing women’s football and this is a pleasing sign that the long term strategy we have been undertaking over the last two years with women’s football is starting to bear fruit.

”We thank the Seven Network for their commitment and look forward to watching the Matildas battle for a place at the Olympic Games.”

Tim Worner (CEO of Seven West Media) added:

“Seven is proud to be bringing the next chapter of (the) Matildas story to all Australians and we'll be doing that live on any screen.

“Australians have embraced the idea of viewing live sport through apps, as the massive audience during the Australian Open has shown."

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